2026 NBA Rookie of the Year Race: Yaxel Lendeborg Takes Over at No. 1
Yaxel Lendeborg just passed Cameron Boozer for No. 1 on the live redraft, Darius Acuff Jr. leads the class in scoring, and AJ Dybantsa is waiting on more games. The ROY race, Nov. 2.
A week ago the Rookie of the Year conversation was mostly about draft slot. Not anymore. Through the games of Nov. 1, Yaxel Lendeborg is the new No. 1 on the live 2026 NBA redraft, passing Cameron Boozer for the top spot. The 11th pick in June is now the guy Washington would take first if the draft happened today.
The board weights actual production at about 80% now, with draft position and pre-draft profile making up the rest. That's a lot of weight on six or seven games, so treat this as a snapshot of the race, not a verdict. But the snapshot is getting interesting.
The ROY ladder after Nov. 1
| Rank | Player | Team | GP | Line | TS% | Redraft slot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yaxel Lendeborg | GSW | 7 | 22.3 pts, 7.3 reb, 3.7 ast | 64.5 | 1 |
| 2 | Cameron Boozer | MEM | 6 | 17.3 pts, 10.5 reb, 5.7 ast | 53.2 | 2 |
| 3 | Caleb Wilson | CHI | 6 | 21.2 pts, 6.7 reb, 2.5 ast | 51.8 | 3 |
| 4 | Darius Acuff Jr. | SAC | 6 | 26.3 pts, 3.7 reb, 6.3 ast | 50.4 | 4 |
| 5 | AJ Dybantsa | WAS | 2 | 18.0 pts, 4.5 reb, 1.5 ast | 66.8 | 5 |
1. Yaxel Lendeborg, Warriors
Lendeborg has started all seven of Golden State's games, and the scoring keeps climbing. In our Nov. 1 piece he was at 19.8 points per game through six games. One more night pushed that to 22.3, to go with 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 32.3 minutes.
What separates him from the rest of the top five is efficiency. He's shooting 52.0% from the floor, 18 of 44 from three, and his 64.5% true shooting is the best in this top five outside of Dybantsa's two-game sample. His board score of 76.7 leads the class, and his production score of 85.4 is the highest on the board by more than 12 points. He's also second among rookies in scoring and second in rebounding. For a player who went 11th, that's a +10 move on the redraft.
2. Cameron Boozer, Grizzlies
Boozer slid from No. 1 to No. 2, but not because he did anything wrong. He's still the most complete stat line in the class: 17.3 points, a class-leading 10.5 rebounds and 5.7 assists, second only to Acuff among rookies. And Memphis is +47 with him on the floor this season, the best plus-minus among the class's top 30 scorers.
The knock is the shooting. Boozer is at 36.5% from the field and 14 of 39 from three, which leaves his true shooting at 53.2%. If those shots start falling, he can take No. 1 right back. He's doing everything else.
3. Caleb Wilson, Bulls
Caleb Wilson is the two-way case. He's scoring 21.2 points in 34.0 minutes, and he's also near the top of the class in steals (1.7 per game) and blocks (1.5 per game). No other rookie shows up that high on both lists.
Like Boozer, the efficiency lags the volume. Wilson is shooting 41.7% from the floor and 14 of 47 from three. Chicago has been outscored by 41 points with him on the court. The defensive numbers are what keep him at No. 3.
4. Darius Acuff Jr., Kings
If ROY were just a scoring title, Darius Acuff Jr. would be running away with it. He leads every rookie in points (26.3), assists (6.3) and minutes (36.5 per game), and he's started all six games for Sacramento. The No. 7 pick sits fourth on the redraft, three spots above where he went.
Two numbers hold him back. He's shooting 39.6% from the floor and 19 of 59 from three, for 50.4% true shooting. And the Kings are -62 with him on the floor, the worst plus-minus among the class's top scorers. Voters usually love volume, but the board wants to see it come with more efficiency.
5. AJ Dybantsa, Wizards
The No. 1 pick is the hardest player to place. AJ Dybantsa has played just two games, but in those two he's averaged 18.0 points in 28.5 minutes on 56.5% shooting and 66.8% true shooting. Those are excellent numbers.
Two games isn't enough to move the board much, though, and that's on purpose. The redraft is built not to overreact to tiny samples, so Dybantsa sits fifth with the lowest production score in the top five (36.0). His draft-slot prior is still the highest in the class. If he stays on the floor and keeps that efficiency, he's the most likely player to crash this top four.
Who's knocking
Just outside the ladder, Darryn Peterson is scoring 13.3 points for Utah but shooting 35.9% from the floor. That has him sixth, four spots below his draft slot. Keaton Wagler is at 13.2 points for the Clippers without a single start. Meleek Thomas, a second-round pick, is scoring 13.0 in 20.7 minutes on 65.3% true shooting through three games.
For the full order, including Trevon Brazile at 13th after going 35th, check the live board. It updates after every game night.
The 2026 NBA redraft re-sorts every morning with the latest games.
